Henschke : Hill of Grace 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for Henschke's Hill of Grace 2021

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a deep crimson hue with ruby highlights.

Nose

Enchanting, the nose unveils aromas of black plum, cocoa, blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant. These fruity notes are enhanced by spicy touches reminiscent of star anise, nutmeg, crushed aromatic herbs, sage oil and black pepper.

Palate

Fine and elegant, the palate displays remarkable complexity around spicy dark berries, violet and cedar. Refined acidity supports velvety, airy tannins that extend into a long, persistent finish of striking fluidity.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Hill of Grace 2021 pairs beautifully with braised game meats, a rack of kangaroo with native berries, or spice-lacquered duck. It also matches well with a lentil stew with porcini mushrooms and black truffle, or grilled eggplant with miso and sesame.

Serving and Cellaring

Well cellared, Hill of Grace 2021 will provide immense drinking pleasure through around 2071. This wine can be enjoyed now while offering exceptional aging potential.

An iconic Eden Valley Shiraz from Southern Australia

The estate

Founded in 1868 by Johann Christian Henschke, a Silesian immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1841, Henschke has remained an independent family estate for more than 150 years. Today, it is led by Stephen Henschke, fifth generation, and his wife Prue, chief viticulturist; together they manage around 105 hectares of vineyards in Southern Australia. Johann Henschke, sixth generation, joined the estate in 2013 as a winemaker and viticulturist. Henschke is recognized worldwide for its pioneering biodynamic practices and for preserving some of the world’s oldest pre-phylloxera vines. The estate is among the Australia's First Families of Wine and produces two cuvées rated "Exceptional" by Langton's Classification.

The vineyard

The historic Hill of Grace vineyard spans eight hectares in the Eden Valley, near the village of Parrot Hill, four kilometers northwest of Keyneton. Situated at 400 meters above sea level on the cool slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges, the vineyard benefits from cool nights that promote slow ripening. The soils consist of alluvial sandy loam over clay, with great diversity including red-brown earth, loamy clay, limestone ridges and schist formations. The Shiraz vines, planted in the 1860s by Nicolaus Stanitzki and affectionately nicknamed "the Grandfathers", are own-rooted and pre-phylloxera. The vineyard is managed according to organic and biodynamic principles, with native cover crops, organic mulching and biodynamic preparations applied in line with lunar cycles.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage stands out as one of the most remarkable of the decade. Winter brought satisfactory rainfall, followed by an exceptionally cool summer, the coolest recorded in nineteen years. Only three days exceeded 32 degrees Celsius and five days surpassed 30 degrees. These cool conditions enabled slow, steady ripening, encouraging the development of exceptional complexity, pure varietal expression and a remarkable balance between concentration and finesse.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Hill of Grace 2021 were hand-harvested on March 30 and 31. Vinification takes place in traditional open concrete vats built in the 1950s, with capacities of 4.5 and 6.5 tonnes, with twice-daily pump-overs. Aging takes place for eighteen months in oak barrels, made up of around 85% French oak and 15% American oak, with approximately 30% new wood and 70% barrels used for several wines, before blending and bottling.

Grape variety

100% Shiraz